Bad Blonde (1953)

A scheming blonde seduces a fighter and convinces him to murder her husband, a fight manager.

Director:

Reginald Le Borg

Writers:

Max Catto (novel), Guy Elmes (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Payton, Frederick Valk, John Slater

Cast

Cast overview:
Barbara Payton	...	Lorna Vecchi
Frederick Valk	...	Giuseppe Vecchi
John Slater	...	Charlie Sullivan
Sidney James	...	Sharkey
Tony Wright	...	Johnny Flanagan
Marie Burke	...	Mother Vecchi
Selma Vaz Dias	...	Mrs. Corelli - Vecchi's Sister
Enzo Coticchia	...	Mr. Corelli

Storyline

The film opens at a carnival with two barkers calling for onlookers to enter the tent where an audience member will fight one of the professional boxers. In a setup, a trained amateur boxer takes the ring and knocks out one of the pros. The boxer, Johnny Flanigan played by Tony Wright, impresses the carnival promoters such that they take young Flanigan under their wings in an attempt to launch a comeback into prizefighting. Enter Giuseppe Vecchi a wealthy Italian with the connections to back the fighter. Flanigan's future looks promising until he meets Giuseppe's wife Lorna Vecchi. Lorna, played by Barbara Payton, married her rich and doting husband when he owned a club where she was a dancer. She's a true trophy wife all too eager to show her displeasure at her jovial husband's eccentricities. The first time Flanigan lays eyes on Lorna it's clear he is ripe for seduction. And seduction is clearly on Lorna's mind, evident as she licks her lips while her eyes scan Flanigan's shirtless,...

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Plot Keywords:

blonde | british noir | husband wife relationship | seduction | affair | 

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Taglines:

Made of FIRE and ICE... and everything DANGEROUS!

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title character goads the young fighter, who doesn't want her to watch him fighting, telling his trainers, "Maybe he doesn't like women," eluding to homosexuality, which wouldn't have passed code in America.

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Connections

Referenced in Berlin - Ecke Schönhauser (1957)

User Reviews

Putty in his hands

After a bit too much partying on this side of the pond Barbara Payton got this offer from Great Britain for The Flanagan Boy. She got to play a vixen in a story that resembles Double Indemnity with some traces of They Knew What They Wanted.

Merchant sailor Tony Wright takes up trainer Sid James's offer to 3 rounds with his fighter at a carnival and flattens him. James takes him up he soon as a heavyweight contender and fixes his him up with Frederick Valk as a manager.

Valk likes what he sees, but so does his tramp of a wife Barbara Payton. Soon enough these two are hot and heavy in the kanoodling. But her ultimate game is to kill Valk and Wright might just think long and hard enough with his male member to do it. He's putty in her hands.

This one was a bit too slapdash in its preparation for my tastes. And Payton while gorgeous is not in the category of Barbara Stanwyck as an actress.

This boxing/noir film could have been a contender.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

10 April 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Blonde

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films, Lippert Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1